Winless Richmond, having already suspended four players including Ben Cousins for an off-field indiscretion in Sydney, will make at least six changes ahead of Sunday's clash, but Bailey said the Demons were ready for a tough scrap.
"We've got to be careful about what's happened at Richmond and appreciate the situation they're in," Bailey said from Junction Oval on Friday.
"Their backs are against the wall so we're expecting a pretty hard game on Sunday.
"Our challenge is to ensure that our consistency is maintained. We've been good in the one-percenters in the game in the last two weeks, but we just can't afford to drop off in [that area] against anyone.
"We've set a standard over the last two weeks and we've got to make sure that what we do is the best we can."
Bailey confirmed Colin Sylvia, who broke his jaw late in the pre-season and was a late withdrawal from the side that defeated Adelaide, would be a definite starter after a grueling week at training.
The coach said his players enjoyed their first win of the season for the 24-hour period following the 16-point victory, but attentions soon became firmly focused on the Tigers.
The Dees are in the rare position under Bailey of being the bookmakers' overwhelming favourite for the match, but the coach said that counted for nothing when the teams run out onto the MCG.
"You're only as good as your next game and people will judge us on how we perform on Sunday regardless of where we are with the betting or who's picked who or whatever," he said.
"We've got a game, there's two teams and it's a 50-50 ball game at the start.
"Our approach has to be that, we have to come out really firing and our intensity has got to be maintained. That's what we have to do - it's not a matter of could you or should you - we just have to do that this week.
"If you take an opposition lightly at all, even if it's one per cent, you're giving them a chance to play their way and you're giving them a chance to be confident.
"We will not take them lightly and we will be as well prepared as we can."
With the number of untried youngsters likely to be drafted into the Tigers' squad this week, Bailey said Melbourne's national recruiting manager, Barry Prendergast, had been brought in to help his players become more familiar with their opponents.
